Screen-plate holder.



H. E. SPRING.

SCREEN PLATE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1912.

'mlinlill qu! I Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. E. SPRING.

SCREEN PLATE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1912.

1,073,825. Patented Sept.23,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

H. E. SPRING.

SCREEN PLATE HOLDER:

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1912. 1,073,825. Patented sept.23,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5L' x10. fa 3 1 g UNTFD STATES PATENT UFFlCFi.

HERBERT E. SPRING, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF ElVIlVIONS CROCKER, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

SCREEN-PLATE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Application filed July 23, 1912. Serial No. 711,141.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Hnnnnn'r E. SrniNo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg7 in the county of Worcester and State of Massacl'iusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Screen- Plate Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to paper making, and more especially to the screens employed in machines of this class; and the object of the same is to produce an improved screen plate holder in which no fastening screws pass through the screen plates and no screws need be removed when said plates are to be removed. This and other objects are accomplished by constructing the improved screen plate holder in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of a screen constructed in accordance with this invention, partly broken away; and Fie 2 is a side elevation thereof, also partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. Ll: is an enlarged cross section on the line l1-4e of Fig. l; and Fig. o is a section at right angles to the sectional line of Fig. l; Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of the casting shown in section in Fig. 5 and which will be referred to hereinafter, this casting being turned on its side in Fig. 6 to better illustrate the shape of its lower end; Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of one end and a por tion of the center of one of the strips hereinafter described; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail in perspective of a portion of one of the cross bars, with a socket plate supported thereon; Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on about the line 9-9 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 10 is a section at right angles thereto on about the line l0-10 of Fig. 9; Fig. ll is a perspective detail of the wedge shown in side elevation in Fig. 9; Fig. l2 is a perspective detail illustrating one end of one of the endmost strips hereinafter described; and Fig. 13 is a perspective detail illustrating the shape of each corner of each screen plate.

The frame of this improved screen com prises side bars l and end bars 2 connected at the corners of the frame in any suitable way and preferably braced by corner strips 8, the strips being of metal and the bars preferably of wood, and the parts being of the desired proportions and sizes according to the dimensions of the screen to be built. I may here say that the screen is made up, as usual, of a number of plates provided with slits or openings through which the pulp is strained in a manner not necessary to aniplify in this specification but well known to those familial' with the art of paper making, and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide special means for holding the screen plates within the frame in such manner that the joints between the edges of the plates where they abut, between the ends of the plates where they come in contact with the side bars of the frame, and along the sides of the two endmost plates where they also come in contact with the frame, will be as nearly water-tight as possible; and yet all parts are held in place without the necessity for the use of screws passing through any plate and which when einployed need frequent adjustment, often permit leakage or accumulate rust, and are always the source of annoyance-all of which objections are overcome by the present invention. Each plate et will be rectangular and approximately one foot by four feet in dimensions, its body provided throughout with a series of slits as indicated at o; and the frame shown best in Fig. 1 is internally of a size to accommodate eight such plates edge to edge and ltting within the frame as shown.

Across the interior of the frame against its end bars 2 are secured the endinost cross bars (S, and-when eight screens are mounted in the screen as showin-seven other cross bars extend across the frames between the endmost bars Of the seven, four arc rather smaller than the ren'iainingI three, the smaller ones being numbered 7 in Fig. 2 and the larger ones S, but all these cross bars have tenons t) (see Fig. 5) entering suitable sockets l() in the side bars 1 of the frame. Secured to the outer faces of said side bars, as by screws ill or otherwise, are upright plates l2 disposed opposite the narrower cross bars only, and each plate has a lip 13 projecting into the socket l0 beneath the tenon S), and just above said lip another screw ll projectingI through the sidebar and into the end of the tenen to draw the cross bar into close contact with the side bar and the tenen into 52 at its inner end, and through this nut passes a screw 533 which bears upon the hook to so that when the screw is adjusted the entire casting and this portion ot' the locking strip are moved downward to press the packing' 37 closely upon the upper facesI ot the meeting edges oit the two screen plates at this point. As suggested above, it may be necessary to provide these devices at the ends of every alternate cross bar only within the :t1-ame, although it might be possible to have them occurI more or less frequently; but the use of these locking devices in connection with those at the corners o'l' the t'rame will reliably hold the locking strips in place, and when the strips are borne downward their packing strips 3T reliably hold the screen plates in place with their grooves 32 in engagement with the ribs .1(5 and 26 ot the metallic strips which stand along the upper edges ot the cross bars ot the it'rame.

rllhe parts oit this improved screen plate holder, being constructed as above described, are assembled as follows: Assuming vthat the cross bars are fixed in position wit-hin the trame, the end strips of lttig. l2 are laid upon the endmost bars (i, and the intermcdiate strips of Fig. 7 are laid upon the other strips and held thereon by the 't' -shaped projections 1S) engaging the T-shaped sockets 23, then the screen plates it are brought into place and their grooves 52 engaged over the opstanding ribs et 'the end strips and the opstanding ribs lo of the other strips7 and packing 55 interposed between the beveled edges B3 ot' the contiguous screen plates, next the locking strips 85 with 'their castings attached are brought into place and inserted within the trame under the projecting nuts 52 el the lugs 51, then the wedges 3S are inserted againstl the ends 5:56 ot said strips and pressed down as iar as possible by hand and the swiveled screws 4-2 inserted through the lugs il., and lastly the other screws 53 are passed through said nuts 52 and the parts are ready for tinal assembly.

By screwing down the screws 4t2 the wedges fi-S are run down behind the beveled ends 3G ot the strip 3,5 so that the latter are forced downward and clamped in place, and the beveled corners 39 oit the wedges engaging the flanges 28 otI the end strips draw the latter outward against the ends 2 o'tI the trame, and cause their ribs 2o engaging the grooves 32 of the endmost screen plates it to draw said plates toward the ends ot the iframe. This causes 'the grooves at the other o-r inner edges ot the endmost strips to tigitly engage the ribs liti on the adjacent ci bars in a manner which will be clear. Next by screwing down the screws 53, the locking strips 35 are toreed downward and their packing strips 37 borne down upon the ends of the screen plates throughout the length of the series, and this holds said plates :trom rising and-as has been above explained---holds said locking strips from becoming warped, meanwhile compressing the packing strips 3T so as to prevent leakage over the ends ot any screen plate. New by giving the corner screws -l2 their linal movements the beveled corners 3S of the u'ralges 2&5) move the inmost strips outward as t'ar as possible within the ends ot thc trame, and tension is put onto all the screen plates so that, it the parts are properly arranged and have been assembled as described, leaks between the contiguous edges oi the screen plates and between the outer edges of the endmost plates and the inner 'laces of the end bars ot the trame is prevented, and the entire screen complete. lVhen now it is desired to remove any screen plate, it is only necessary to reverse the operation above described and loosen up on all screws to au eX- tent sutlicient to permit the removal ot' the locking strips 85, after which any plate or plates may be ,vithdrawn :tor purposes oit cleaning or repair.

I would make the packing strips 55 and 5:37 ot rubber or rubber' composition, wood, metal, or other material and possibly renew them trom time to time. As has been above suggested, the materials ot which other parts arc compcsed are not t mtial.

Attention is directed to a feature best illustrated in Figs. l and 9. `his is the tact that the groove l2 along each edge ot every plate has parallel walls inclined at the same angle as do the side walls o-t each rib lt or 2G so that the latter may .tit into the groove, but the groove is wider than the rib and in the final assembly ot parts the straining apart of the endmost plates draws the grooves of all plates into close engagement with all the ribs throughoutl all the series so that it is impossible t'or any plate to become displaced as longl as this straining continues. lllorcover, the use of the triangi'llar packing 55 between the undercut edges 33 ot the plates where they abut, complements said edges and produces in elleet a dove-tailed rib between the contiguous grooves 32 in the two plates which lits into the dove-tailed groove 17 in the strip. llowever, when a plate is to be removed and the tension is rclaxed su'tlieiently to enable one endmost plate to be uuhooked trom the rib 2G along its outer edge, then the groove l2 along its inner edge can be uuhooked 'trom the rib lo on the next strip and the plate removed; this strip can then be moved laterally over the cross bar supporting it-the shape ot lthe engaging projection and socket permitting-so that tension on the second plate is released and it in turn can be removed like the lirst. This process can be kept up throughout the length ot the series of plates within the trame, or another operator might be removing the plates and working from the other end fof the frame inward until the two operato-rs met at the center. By the use of this detail of construction, in connection with the others hereinbefore described, l am enabled to dispense with screws for holding the plates in place, and thus the engagement of the beveled walls of the grooves 32 and the ribs l5 and 26 is such that in eect there are inter-engaging ribs along the under side of the plates and the upper side of the strips and their engagement is such that when the plates are strained lapart it cannot be disrupted.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a screen plate holder, the combination with a frame, and strips across within the same, `each strip having a pair of upstanding ribs coni/erging toward each other; of the screen plates having grooves in their lower faces along their side edges wider than but shaped to conform with said ribs, other strips across the frame near its end rails and each having a single rib to engage the outermost groove in the endniost plate, and means for moving said endmost strips lapart to strain all the plates horizontally for the purpose set forth.

2. In a screen plate holder, the combination with a frame, and strips across within the same, each strip having a pair of upstanding ribs converging toward each other; of screen plates having undercut edges and grooves in their lower faces near said edges shaped to conform with said ribs and disposed so that when in engagement therewith the upper corners o-f the edges are in contact, a packing between the undercut edges of contiguous plates, and means for straining the plates apart.

3. In a screen plate holder, the combination with a frame, and strips across within the same, each strip having a pair of upstanding ribs converging toward each other; of screen plat-es having undercut edges and grooves in their lower faces near said edges shaped to conform with said ribs land disposed so that when in engagement therewith the upper corners of the edges are in contact, a packing between the undercut edges of contiguous plates, other strips across the frame near its end rails and each having a single rib to engage the outermost groove in the endmost plate, and means for moving said end-most strips apart to strain all the plates horizontally for the purpose set fort-h.

4:. In a screen plate holder, the combination with a frame having cross bars therein and provided with sockets in their upper edges, strips overlying certain of said cross bars having projections engaging said sockn ets to permit each strip to slide lateral-ly upon its cross bar, and a pair of upstanding ribs along each strip converging toward,each other; of a series of screen plates whereof invaeaa each has downwardl f ro'ectinO' ribs alon` i both edges yshaped to conform with the ribs on said strips, and means for moving the endinost plates apart to put all the plates under horizontal strain for the purpose set forth.

5. In a screen pla-te holder, the combination with a frame having cross bars therein and provided with sockets in their upper edges, strips overlying certain of said cross bars having projections engaging said sockets to permit each strip to slide laterally upon its cross bar, and a pair of upstanding ribs along each strip converging toward each other; of a series of. screen plates whereof each has downwardly projecting ribs along both edges shaped to conform with the ribs on said strips, `other strips across the frame near its end rails and each having a single rib to engage the outermost rib in the endmost plate, and means for moving said endmost strips apart to strainV all the plates horizontally for the purpose set forth.

6. AIn a screen plate holder, the combination with a frame having cross bars therein and provided'with sockets in their upper edges, strips overlying certain of said cross bars having projections engaging said sockets to permit each strip to slide laterally upon its cross bar, and a pair of upstandin'g ribs along each strip `converging toward each other; of a series of screen plates whereof each has downward-ly projecting ribs along both edges shaped to conform with the ribs on said strips, other strips across the frame near its end rails each having a single rib to engage the outermost ribs in the endmost plates and upstanding flange beveled on its inner face and fiat on its outer face adjacent the inner face of said end rail, the corners of the endmost plate being notched, locking strips extending along within the side rails of the frame and having beveled ends, and wedges in the corners of theframe engaging said, beveled ends and having their lower 'extremities projecting through the notches in the endm'ost plates and engaging the beveled face of the flanges on said endmost strips, all as and for the purpose set forth.

f7. ln a screen plate holder, the combination with a frame, and strips across within the same, each strip having al pair of upstanding ribs 'cont/erging toward each other; of a series of screen plates whereof each has downwardly projecting ribs along both edges shaped to conform with the ribs on said strips, other strips across the frame near its end Irails each having a single rib to engage the outermost ribs in the endmost plates `Vand an upstanding flange beveled on its inner face and flat on its outer face adjacent the inner face of said `end rail, the corners xof the endm-ost plate being notched, locking strips extending along within the side rails of the frame and having beveled ends, and wedges in the corners ot the trame engaging said beveled ends and having their' lower extremities projecting through the notches in the endmost plates and engaging the beveled itace of the flanges on said endmost strips, all as and tor the purpose set forth.

S. 1n a screen plate holder, the combination with a iframe, strips across within the same, each strip having a pair ot' upstanding longitudinal ribs, other strips across the :trame near its end 'ails and each having a single iu'istanding rib and an upstanding beveled flange, and a series oit' screen plates whereoiz each has downwardly projecting ribs along both edges shaped to conform with the ribs on said strips, each plate being also notched at all tour corners; of wedges movably mounted in the corners oit the frame, passing through the notches in the eudmost plates, and engaging the flanges on the endmost strips, and plugs n'iovably mounted on the side rails of the 'frame and engaging the registering notches between the meeting edges ot' contiguous plates.

9. ln a screen plate holder, the combination with a traine, strips across within the same, each strip having a pair ot' upstanding longitudinal ribs, other strips across the traine near its end rails and each having a single upstanding rib and an upstanding beveled flange, and a series ot' screen plates whereof each has downwardly projecting ribs along both edges shaped to contorni with the ribs on said strips, each plate being also notched at all four corners; o't wedges niovably mounted in the corners oit the trame, passing through the notches in the endmost plates, and engaging the flanges on the endrnost strips, locking strips extending along within the side rails of the :trame between said wedges, castings carried by said lockii'ig strips and each having a plug engaging a pair ot registering notches between the contiguous edges of meeting plates, and means for passing said locking strips down ward.

10. In a screen plate holder, the combination with a iframe, strips across within the same, each strip having a pair oit upstanding longitudinal ribs, other strips across the trame near its end rails and each having a single upstanding rib and an upstanding beveled flange, and a series o't screen plates whereof each has downwardly projecting ribs along both edges shaped to conform with the ribs on said strips, each plate being also notched at all four corners; of wedges movably mounted in the corners ot the frame, passing through the notches in the endmost plates, and engaging the flanges on the endmost strips, locking strips extending along within the side rails of the iframe, packing strips in the lower edges of said locking strips adapted to make contact with the upper laces ot said screen plates near the ends ol the latter, plugs carried by said locking strips and adapted to pass through registering notches between the meeting edges ot contiguous plates` and means it'or bearing said locking strips and their packing strips downward.

111. l'n a screen plate holder, the combination with the -trame, cross strips within the same having upstanding longitudinal ribs, and a series ot screen plates each having depemliug ribs alongl its sides adapted to eo-aet with said upstanding ribs and ach notched in all tour corners; ci means tor spreinling the endmost plates in said series apart so as to put all the plates under tensien 'lor the purpose set 'torth, locking strips extending along within the side rails ot the trame, castings carried therebjy opposite certain o't' .said cross strips and each lmring a body (wnnerted with the locking strip, a plug depending troni the lower end thereot' and adapted to engage registering notches in the meeting edges oit contiguous plates, and a hook at the upper end of the body extending over the locking strip and provided with a lip crei-hanging its trout tace, nuts carried b v the side rails ot the traine, and screws adjustable hrough said nuts and bearing downward on said hooks.

1Q. ln a screen plate holder, the combina tion with the iframe, cross strips within the same having upstanding longitudilml ribs, and a series oi screen plates each haring depending ribs adapted to co-aet with said upstanding ribs and each notched in all four corners; ot' means lor sprauling the endmost plates in said series apart so as to put all of the plates under tension for the purpose set 'toi-th, locking strips extending along within the side rails oi the iranie` castings carried thereby opposite certain of said cross strips and each having a bod)r connected with the locking strip, a plug depending trom the lower end thereof and adapted to engage registering notches in the meeting edges of contiguous plates, and a hook at the upper end oil the body cxtending over the locking strip and provided with a lip overhanging its :front tace, cross bars within the Ytraine beneath said strips and having tenons at their extremities, the side rails having sockets receiving said tenons, plates secured against the outer '[iaces ot said side rails and having lips projecting into said sockets beneath the tenons and lugs projecting through the rail and having nuts at their inner ends, and screws adjustable through said nuts and bearing on said hooks tor they purpose set lorth.

13. In a screen plate holder, the combination with the :trame` cross strips within the same, and a series of screen plates adapted to co-act with said strips, each plate being notchedin its corners; of means for spreading apart the endmost plates in said series so as to put all of the plates under tension for the purpose set forth, locking strips within the side rails of the frame, castings opposite certain of said cross strips and each having a body connected with a locking strip, aplug depending from the lower end of the body and adapted to engage registering notches in contiguous plates, and a hook at the upper end; cross bars beneath said cross strips and having tenons at their extremities, the side rails of the frame having sockets receiving said tenons, plates secured to the side rails and having lugs projecting through them and carrying nuts, and screws Y adjustable through said nuts and bearing on said hooks, substantially as described.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT E. SPRING.

Vitnesses:

Jol-IN CRUICKSHANK, M. FRED, OCONNRLL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for v-e cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ,of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

